Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #maineresists, aggregated by home.social.
Another recent workshop I had hoped to attend (but couldn't).
#AIRefusal in Education and Beyond: A Conversation with #HannahCyrus and #JannaAhrndt
From #HadrianeHatfield September 23rd, 2026
Link to presentation:
https://video.maine.edu/media/A.I.+Refusal+in+Education+and+Beyond%3A+A+Conversation+with+Hannah+Cyrus+and+Janna+Ahrndt/1_dku1rezy?st=0
#AIResistance #BigData #AISucks #MaineLibraries #AvoidingAI #LibrariesRule ! #MaineResists #ResistAI
#SanfordME City Council extends #DatacenterMoratorium 180 days amid resident concerns
by WGME Staff
Tue, August 4, 2026
SANFORD (WGME) -- "Sanford city councilors have voted to extend the city's moratorium on new #datacenters for another 180 days.
"The previous moratorium was approved in May and was set to expire.
"The extension comes as a developer proposes building a 1,000-acre data center along the #MousamRiver.
"City leaders and residents have raised concerns about potential impacts on #WaterQuality, #LandUse, #ElectricityDemand and other #Environmental issues.
" 'We have the chance to protect the #community, #wildlife and the legacy of the Mousam River, not diminish its value by allowing harmful projects of this scale to be built along the river,' said Eve Dumont-Wilson, who opposes the project."
#MainePol #MaineResists #SandfordResists #ResistDataCenters #Datacentres #DatacentreMoratorium
#Protestors in #ScarboroughME call for #ICE to leave #Maine, demand action from leaders
A coalition of immigrant advocates, local leaders and concerned residents are holding an "emergency protest" after ICE agents shot and killed a Colombian man in Biddeford on Monday.
About 200 people gathered in front of the ICE facility in Scarborough a day after federal agents shot and killed a man in Biddeford.
Updated: 11:38 AM EDT Jul 14, 2026
by Francis Flisiuk
SCARBOROUGH, Maine — "A group of about 200 local activists, elected officials, community organizations and faith leaders are holding an 'emergency protest' outside the Scarborough ICE facility a day after the shooting death of a Colombian man in #BiddefordME.
"On Monday, 26-year-old #JoanSebastianGuerrero was shot and killed by ICE, leaving behind a wife, 3-year-old child, and sister.
"The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says an ICE officer 'fearing for public safety' [BULLSHIT!] shot and killed the driver. It happened as agents were watching a home of someone they believed was in the country illegally and has a final order of removal from the country.
"Protestors called for the removal of all ICE agents in Maine and the release of all people detained by federal agents.
" 'The governor has to issue a proclamation, saying that ICE is not allowed in our state, and the Attorney General should direct the State Troopers to be filing criminal charges against the murderers in our community,' said @Todd , one of the organizers of the protest.
"Representatives from more than 20 organizations attended the protest including: #MaineYouthPower, Maine Small Businesses Association, Maine #DemocraticSocialists of America, the Maine #WomensLobby, #MaineCoalitionForPalestine, the #MaineGreenParty, #MainePRIDE, #MaineTransnet and the Maine #AFLCIO."
#MainePol #USPol #MaineResists #ICEOutOfMaine #HumanRights #MaineDSA #MaineGreens #ICE #ICESucks #DefundICE #DefundCBP #MurderPatrol
These #Maine #librarians are helping patrons resist #AI and #BigTech
by Bridget Huber, July 2, 2026
"In recent months, the #SearsmontME Town Library has added a new service for patrons: Help in removing AI from their phones and other devices.
" 'A lot of times, it’s just telling people that they have choices,' Library Director #StevenBrown said. 'Their phone came a certain way, but they don’t have to use it the way that it came.'
"Brown helps patrons disable AI-powered assistants like Siri or so-called smart features in email and switch from using Google, which doesn’t offer an option to search without AI overviews, to a browser that does.
"A big part of his job as a librarian has been helping people with information technology, he said. He sees helping people think critically about technology and AI as a natural extension of this work.
"While Brown’s long been skeptical of the purported benefits of technology for society, he didn’t start offering the #AIRemoval services until this spring, when he attended a webinar presented by #HannahCyrus, a #BangorME librarian who has become a leading voice in a nationwide movement of librarians who are working to help patrons understand the risks of AI and other technologies.
" 'I seem to have become the face of #AIHaters — which I’m fine with — in the library world,' Cyrus said.
"Cyrus, a reference librarian at the Bangor Public Library, teaches classes on how to use technology. But that doesn’t mean uncritically embracing and promoting it, she said.
" 'I really try to make sure people not only know where to tap or click to get done what they want to do, but to understand the values and issues at play as they’re using different pieces of technology,' she said.
"Commonly used tools like Gmail and Chat GPT are not neutral, she said. 'These are products created by giant #corporations who want your information and want your attention,' she said. “And that has real impacts on our lives.”
"The most popular class Cyrus has taught is called #AvoidingAI, which explains what #GenerativeAI is, some of the concerns around it, and how to disable it and find alternatives. The first time she taught the class in fall of 2025 more than 70 people enrolled. She taught it again this spring, and Brown was one of 20 Maine librarians to enroll. "
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/HRBPH
#AIResistance #BigData #AISucks #MaineLibraries #LibrariesRule! #MaineResists #ResistAI
Yes! More of this, please!
#JayME #DataCenter project put on hold after developer backs out
by Russ Reed, 6/12/2026
Excerpt: "The owners of a former paper mill in Jay have put plans to build a data center at the site on hold because the developer has backed out of the project, according to officials in the #Maine town.
"JGT2, owners of the Riley Road property that was once home to the Androscoggin Mill, told Jay officials that the developer, Sentinel, intended not to move forward at this point, according to a post on the Town of Jay Facebook page.
[...]
"The news comes more than two months after Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a bill that would have put a temporary moratorium on data centers in Maine, a moratorium that would have been the first of its kind in the United States. The Maine Legislature passed the bill, #LD307, which would have required the state's Department of Energy Resources to create the Maine Data Center Coordination Council to ensure Maine is ready for data centers.
"State Rep. Melanie Sachs, the bill's sponsor, said the legislation was an attempt to make sure Maine is ready for data centers and focused on the infrastructure needed for these types of facilities. When the bill was passed, a spokesperson for Mills said the governor agreed with lawmakers that the rapid growth of large-scale AI data centers warrants careful evaluation of impacts on public resources, the environment and Maine ratepayers. But Mills also supported an exemption to the law for the proposed data center at the former Jay paper mill, which was not included in the bill passed by the Legislature."
#DatacentersSuck #DatacenterMoratoriums #MainePol #MaineResists #ResistBigData #USPol #WorldPol
TODAY! NO FLOCK FOR SOPO
THUR JUNE 11 - 5PM
South Portland City Hall, 25 Cottage Road, South Portland, Maine
Join #NoFlockForSoPo on June 11 for People’s Public Comment, a rally against mass surveillance in Maine at #SouthPortland City Hall.
#MEpolitics #NoFlock #MaineResists #ResistICE #Surveillance #SurveillanceState #FlockCameras
#SanfordME imposes emergency #DatacenterMoratorium, halting #MousamRiver project
The 91-day pause to allow for a task force to review concerns will affect a proposal for the 1,000-acre Sanford Woods Industrial and Technical Campus.
SANFORD — "The City Council on Tuesday night approved a three-month emergency moratorium on data centers, temporarily stopping a proposal for a 1,000-acre center along the Mousam River.
"The council voted unanimously in favor of the 91-day moratorium, which puts a pause on the acceptance, approval or issuance of permits for any large scale data center proposal in the city. The moratorium takes effect immediately and will remain in place until Aug. 12.
"At the meeting, City Manager Steven Buck said there are plans to establish a task force dedicated to reviewing residents’ concerns and making recommendations for ordinance amendments on municipal regulations for data centers.
"After Maine Gov. #JanetMills vetoed a temporary statewide ban on #datacenters, several cities and towns — including Sanford — responded by introducing their own emergency moratoriums.
"There have been at least eight data centers proposed across Maine, though some have been withdrawn. One that’s still on the table is the Sanford Woods Industrial and Technical Campus, which would cover about 1,000 acres of land along and near the Mousam River.
"At the council’s prior meeting on May 5, Sanford Mayor Becky Brink criticized Mills’ veto and said the city government would take action on its own.
" 'I feel like the state let us down,' she said. 'We as a city — and all of us have spoken — we are going to protect Sanford.' "
Archived version:
https://archive.md/xkkvV
#ResistBigData #MaineResists
#MainePol #DatacentersSuck #Datacenters #NoisePollution #WaterIsLife #EnergyConsumption #AISucks
#Maine municipal leaders to vote on #DatacenterMoratoriums amid concerns
by Brad Rogers,WGME
Wed, May 20, 2026 at 4:16 PM
Updated Thu, May 21, 2026 at 5:33 AM
SCARBOROUGH, Maine (WGME) -- "New massive data centers are being proposed in #ScarboroughME, #SanfordME, #JayME and other Maine communities, raising concerns among some Mainers in those communities.
"A developer wants to build the #ScarboroughTechnologyPark — a 140,000-square-foot data center with supporting infrastructure on 52 acres west of the Maine Turnpike and north of #TwoRodRoad.
"Town leaders in Scarborough say they need time to study the impacts of the proposed project, while some neighbors are already voicing opposition.
" 'This is a pretty quiet neighborhood, and it’s going to just destroy the neighborhood and the property values,' said Warren Hamilton, who opposes the #datacenter planned behind his home."
#ResistBigData #MaineResists
#MainePol #DatacentersSuck #Datacenters #NoisePollution #WaterIsLife #EnergyConsumption #AISucks
#BrunswickME considers pause on #datacenter proposals
There will be a public hearing on the proposed moratorium on June 1.
by Katie Langley, Posted May 19, 2026, Updated May 20
"Brunswick is among several Maine municipalities considering moratoriums on large-scale data centers after Gov. #JanetMills vetoed a bill that would have temporarily restricted such developments.
"At a Monday night meeting, Brunswick’s town councilors set a June 1 public hearing on the proposed moratorium. If passed, the moratorium would give the town 180 days to gather information on the impact of data centers and set regulations on their development.
"The drafted moratorium closely mirrors other temporary policies being considered in towns and cities including #WestbrookME, which uses the same law firm as Brunswick.
"Town councilors on Monday removed a section in the draft moratorium that defined data centers as having a gross floor area of at least 10,000 square feet or electrical capacities of at least 20 megawatts. Instead, data center projects with an electrical capacity of 1 megawatt or more would be prohibited during the moratorium period.
"Brunswick has an existing, smaller-scale data center on #BrunswickLanding, owned by internet company #FirstLight, that town leaders have said has not been an issue and does not store artificial intelligence data.
"Town Manager Julia Henze said Monday night that there are no proposals for data centers on the horizon for Brunswick, but a moratorium would give the council time to update town ordinances and be prepared for such projects.
"Other municipalities, including #SanfordME and #ScarboroughME, are considering data center moratoriums in response to already proposed projects."
Read more:
https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/20/brunswick-considers-pause-on-data-center-proposals/
Archived version:
https://archive.md/tt3nk
#ResistBigData #MaineResists
#MainePol #DatacenterMoratoriums #DatacentersSuck #Datacenters #NoisePollution #WaterIsLife #EnergyConsumption #AISucks
#Arkansas Advocate: Arkansas Explained -- Understanding the #Datacenter boom and debate
by Ainsley Platt, Arkansas Advocate May 23, 2026
"Hailed by officials and economic developers as a boon to the state, data center projects heading to Arkansas are facing increasing scrutiny and calls for local regulations.
"Since an overhaul of energy permitting laws credited with luring more data centers was enacted last year, companies have announced plans for five such projects statewide. Two of them are already under construction.
"But the rapid announcements and #secretive negotiations with local governments and business chambers have prompted an outcry from some #Arkansans. Reassurances from utilities that costs won’t be shifted to existing customers haven’t assuaged fears.
[...]
"In central Arkansas, residents opposed to #datacenters crowded into board rooms in #ConwayAK and #LittleRockAK, while many more commented on social media videos and posts expressing their dismay over data center projects.
"Momentum for regulations on data centers is also picking up in Arkansas’ most-populous county, even after the Pulaski County Quorum Court voted to send proposed regulations to the county planning department for a 90-day review.
"Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. who stood with supporters at a press conference last week, announced his support Tuesday for data center regulations.
"Wendell Griffen, the Democratic nominee for Pulaski County’s top elected position who wrote Pulaski County’s proposed regulations, has made data center regulation a central part of his campaign. Griffen has pushed for the quorum court to enact an emergency moratorium."
#ArkansasPol #DatacenterMoratoriums #ResistBigData #MaineResists
#DatacentersSuck #Datacenters #NoisePollution #WaterIsLife #EnergyConsumption #AISucks
#WestbrookME considers moratorium on #AIDataCenters as debate grows across #Maine
Story by Drew Peters, 5/18/2026
"The Westbrook City Council is expected to decide Monday whether to temporarily halt new #Datacenter development as communities across Maine continue weighing the benefits and risks tied to the growing artificial intelligence industry.
"The proposal would create a 180-day moratorium on new data center projects in Westbrook. City leaders said the pause would give officials time to update ordinances and better understand how large-scale facilities could impact the city’s electric grid, water supply, and taxpayers.
"The discussion comes as Maine communities increasingly debate the future of AI-related infrastructure. Last month, Gov. #JanetMills vetoed a bill that would have imposed a statewide moratorium on data centers.
" 'This is a subject that has the potential to destroy our community,' Westbrook resident Marnie Ward said ahead of the meeting.
"Ward said she has followed reports of data center development in other parts of the country and worries promises made by developers may not always be fulfilled.
" 'Places where companies have promised to put in things like their own electrical generation and they don’t do it,' Ward said.
"She questioned whether the economic benefits outweigh the environmental and infrastructure costs.
" 'What’s the benefit, and does the benefit of having one of these data centers outweigh the costs it’s going to be?' Ward said.
"Mayor David Morse said the proposed moratorium is intended to help the city prepare before a project proposal arrives."
#ResistBigData #MaineResists
#MainePol #DatacenterMoratoriums #DatacentersSuck #Datacenters #NoisePollution #WaterIsLife #EnergyConsumption #AISucks
#JanetMills vetoed a #DataCenter pause. Towns are looking to pass their own.
At least four municipalities have proposed their own moratoriums on new data center development while they refine local regulations.
by Daniel Kool, May 18, 2026
"Without a statewide moratorium on large data center development, a patchwork of local laws appears to be forming in #Maine.
"Weeks after Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a bill to temporarily restrict permitting for new data centers of 20 megawatts or more, at least four towns and cities are considering enacting their own moratoriums. The local pauses are designed to give officials time to review their zoning rules and develop new regulations for large data centers — should they ever come to town.
"Some, like those in Sanford and Scarborough, come as developers have already proposed building data centers in town. Others, like in Brunswick and Westbrook, are designed to get ahead of potential data center construction. All four communities plan to discuss their proposals at meetings this week.
"Though these local proposals have taken on new urgency in a lieu of a broader moratorium, they are not the first of their kind. The Bangor City Council unanimously passed a city-wide pause in April, days before Mills shot down the statewide effort. Anne Krieg, the town’s director of development, said they 'didn’t want to wait for the state,' as development pressure mounted."
Archived version:
https://archive.md/gSis4
#ResistBigData #MaineResists #MainePol #DatacenterMoratoriums #BangorME #ScarboroughME #SanfordME #BrunswickME #WestbrookME #DatacentersSuck #NoisePollution #WaterIsLife #EnergyConsumption #AISucks
#Maine - Referendum on #TransgenderAthletes could be kept off ballot because of invalid signatures
By Kevin Miller, May 21, 2026
"A state elections official is recommending that a referendum on transgender athletes be kept off the November ballot after identifying problems with thousands of petition signatures.
"The proposed ballot initiative would only allow athletes to compete on teams that match their birth sex unless a school offers a co-ed team. If enacted, it would also require schools to maintain separate locker rooms, restrooms and showers for male and female students.
"But opponents challenged the validity of thousands of petition signatures filed by the #ProtectGirlsSports in Maine campaign. And after reviewing the petition sheets, Chief Deputy Secretary of State Katherine McBrien recommended that more 12,500 of the nearly 80,000 signatures be invalidated because of multiple issues. Those included petition circulators failing to file valid affidavits with the secretary of state's office, duplicate signatures, someone else signing a petition sheet rather than the supposed voter, and signatories not matching any registered voters in their town's voting rolls.
"If Secretary of State #ShennaBellows agrees with McBrien's recommendation, the Protect Girls Sports campaign would fall just 532 signatures below the 67,682 that are currently needed to place an issue on the statewide ballot."
#MainePol #USPol #MaineResists #MAGACheaters #FakeSignatures #NoPlaceForHate #FuckOffTerfs
Federal court rules #Maine does not need to hand over #VoterData to DOJ
WMTW, Thu, May 21, 2026
"A judge has ruled in favor of Maine Secretary of State #ShennaBellows, saying the state does not need to hand over voter data to the federal government."
Watch:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/federal-court-rules-maine-does-214009501.html
#USPol #MainePol #MaineResists #VoterDisenfranchisement #TrumpSucks
#AI #DataCenter #Resistance: #Maine Passes Nation’s First Statewide Moratorium — Will Gov. Mills Sign It?
#DemocracyNow, April 22, 2026
"Communities across the United States are pushing back against resource-draining data centers being built to fuel artificial intelligence and crypto ventures. In Maine, state legislators recently passed a first-in-the-country statewide moratorium on large data centers. 'Maine residents are concerned about the impacts of data centers on both their electric rates and other utility rates, as well as on our wonderful environment,' says Democratic state Representative Melanie Sachs, who sponsored the bill designed to give legislators time to develop regulations around new data center construction. Sachs says developers have been operating in 'complete secrecy' refusing to engage with community stakeholders, while their plans appear to provide 'limited economic opportunity with very few local jobs.' The bill goes to Maine Governor #JanetMills’s desk next."
Read / watch / listen:
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/4/22/maine_ai_data_center_ban_melanie
#MainePol #AIResistance #AISucks #DatacenterMoratorium #AIDataCenters #MaineResists #Datacenter #WaterIsLife #NoisePollution #EnergyGrid #ResistAI
[1/2] #PineTreeActivism - #NoKings3 #MaineEvents / #NHEvents
#AuburnME: 12-1:30PM - Court St & Main St, Longley Bridge, Auburn
#AugustaME: 12-5:00PM - Maine State House, Augusta
#BangorME: 12-2:00PM - Main St (West Market Sq>Paul Bunyan), Bangor
#BarHarborME: 10-11:00AM – Village Green, Bar Harbor
#BathME: 10:00AM-2:00PM - From Library Park to the bridge, Bath
#BelfastME: 1-3:00PM - Post Office Square, 1 Franklin St, Belfast
#BethelME: 2-5:00PM - Bethel Common, 21 Broad St, Bethel
#BridgtonME: 12-3:00PM - Shorey Park, Main St, Bridgton
#BrooksME: 11AM-12:00PM – ME-7 bridge downtown, Brooks
#BrunswickME: 11:00-1:00PM - 195 Maine Street, Brunswick
#BucksportME: 12:30-2:30PM - Veterans Memorial Bridge, Bucksport
#CalaisME: 12-2:00PM - Flatiron Park, North & Main St, Calais
#CarrabassettValleyME: 8-10:00AM - Town Office, Carrabassett Valley
#CastineME: 1-3:00PM - Court St & School St, Castine
#CherryfieldME: 12-2:00PM - Stewart Park, US Rt 1 & Main St, Cherryfield
#DamariscottaME / #NewcastleME: 12-1:00PM on the bridge, Damariscotta
#DeerIsleME: 12-12:30PM – Mill Pond Park, 22 Main St, Deer Isle
#DexterME: 12-1:00PM - Main St & Church St, Dexter
#DoverNH: 11:00AM-1:00PM - Lower Square, Dover
#EastportME: 10-11:00AM - 1 Washingon St, Eastport
#EllsworthME: 12-1:30PM – Ellsworth City Hall, 1 City Hall Plaza, Ellsworth
#FarmingtonME: 12-1:30PM - 196 Main St to south, Farmington
#FortKentME: 1-3:00PM - 1 Monument Square, Fort Kent
Source:
https://bsky.app/profile/pinetreeactivism.org/post/3mhr6mhj7oc2w
I'll be posting #NoKings3 events from #PineTreeActivism once they have been posted. #DJShaxx just announced the #PortlandME one on the air. Open mike at 11:30am, main event at Noon. Monument Square.
#NoKings #TrumpSucks #MaineEvents #MaineResists #LeftOfTheDial #WMPG
Meanwhile, in #Maine...
As #dataCenters look to rural #NewEngland, Maine considers a moratorium
The bill’s advocates want answers about how data centers will affect energy costs in the region, which already has some of the country’s highest electricity prices.
By: Julia Tilton, The Daily Yonder - February 23, 2026
"Maine legislators are currently considering #LD307, a resolution bill that would establish a data center coordination council to provide input and evaluate policy options for data center development in the state. The bill comes after a series of data center proposals have been met with local pushback.
"Shortly after #WiscassetME voted to pause its data center conversations in November of 2025, residents in #LewistonME, lobbied their city councilors to reject a $300 million #AIDataCenter on December 16, 2025. There, community members organized over a weekend to change city councilors’ minds from supporting the idea when it was first made public on December 11, 2025, to voting unanimously to reject it the following week.
" 'It really speaks to the importance of adequate public participation and notice,
said Dana Colihan, the co-executive director of Slingshot, an environmental health and justice organization in New England. Colihan is based in Maine and helped residents of Wiscasset and Lewiston organize. 'When community members do find out about these projects, they have really serious concerns around the impacts to their local environment and wellbeing.'
"Richard Davis was among the residents in Wiscasset and neighboring #WestportIsland who, in November of 2025, pushed Wiscasset’s town selectboard, which functions like a city council, to pause conversations about developing a $5 billion data center on a town-owned parcel of land along the Back River, which empties into Maine’s #CascoBay.
"Davis, who lives along the Back River about a mile and a half from the proposed development, said little information about the facility’s end user, utility usage, or power source was provided after it was first made public on September 16, 2025.
"This caused him and others to worry about how the site would affect the town’s resources, including the grid. Along with his neighbors, Davis started #ProtectWiscasset, a grassroots campaign opposing the data center."
#MainePol #MaineResists #ResistDatacenters #NoEnergyForAI #AISucks #ResistanceIsFertile
Dozens gather in protest outside #ScarboroughME #ICE facility
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, who visited an #ICEFacility in Massachusetts on Thursday, stopped by the protest Friday afternoon.
Drew Johnson, February 20, 2026
SCARBOROUGH — "#Protesters gathered outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility here on Friday to voice dismay over the agency’s practices in Maine and elsewhere.
Nearly 100 people — including U.S. Rep. #ChelliePingree — had gathered along #MansonLibbyRoad by the protest’s 3:30 p.m. start time, according to a reporter’s count.
"Protesters chatted, held signs and flags, and waved as drivers honked their horns. Organizers lined the street with caution tape to designate where demonstrators ought to congregate and to keep them out of the roadway.
"Pingree, D-1st District, complimented demonstrators on their signs and stopped to chat with some and answer questions.
" 'Even though the surge has slowed down here in Maine, we still have a lot of activity,' Pingree said."
Read more:
https://www.pressherald.com/2026/02/20/dozens-gather-in-protest-outside-scarborough-ice-facility-2/
Archived version:
https://archive.md/y3XXh
#USPol #MainePol #MaineResists #ResistICE #ResistFascism #AmericanGestapo #AbolishICE #DefundICE #DefundDHS
And for anyone who did not know the exact location of the #ICEFacility in #ScarboroughME, the address is 40 Manson Libby Road! Any vets needing some support (and maybe want to keep an eye on #ICEVehicles)? Hmmmm...
#ICE facility planned in Scarborough
May 5, 2021
By Ulya Aligulova | Photos Joseph Shaw
"Construction of a new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility located at 40 Manson Libby Road in Scarborough is set to be completed in spring 2021. It will share the building with a #VeteransAdministration group that provides therapy and support to veterans.
"The news of the facility first broke in February 2020 when Bangor Daily News reported on an email they obtained, under the Freedom of Information Act, from Alisa Wofford, a leasing specialist with the U.S. General Services Administration, an agency that manages federal building contracts. '[T]his space will be low key and not brightly advertised as an ICE location,' Wofford wrote to other government officials. 'The GSA property manager does not speculate that protests will be a problem for the vet center.' According to the email, ICE will process, fingerprint, and detain people suspected of immigration violations, keeping them in onsite holding rooms before transporting them in unmarked vans to an overnight detention facility elsewhere, if necessary.
"At present, people apprehended by the agency and waiting for immigration court proceedings are generally held at the Cumberland County Jail before being moved out of state. According to ICE’s website, the nearest Enforcement and Removal Operations field office, whose area of responsibility includes Maine, is in Boston. However, in October 2019, the agency announced the opening of an administrative office in downtown Portland at One City Center, which also has one holding cell. The news of the two facilities came as the number of people arrested by ICE spiked across the country. In 2019, ICE apprehended over 1.1 million people, a rise of nearly 70% from the previous fiscal year. In 2020, the agency convicted nearly 400,000 people and deported over 185,000 noncitizens from the U.S.
"Scarborough town officials were not aware of the plans for the facility before the Bangor Daily News broke the story. #JoshSoley, the owner of the industrial building at 40 Manson Libby Road, signed a 15-year-lease with the GSA in April 2019. 'This was a private transaction between a property owner and the federal government that complied with all the zoning requirements and the council doesn’t have any authority to approve or disapprove leases between the parties,' said Scarborough Town Council Chief Paul Johnson. 'We’ve since changed our zoning laws so that overnight and detention facilities will no longer be allowed. The new zoning would also prevent this facility from expanding.' "
Read more:
https://www.amjamboafrica.com/ice-facility-planned-in-scarborough/
#MainePol #USPol #MaineResists #ICEOut #ICEOutOfMaine
#ICESucks #DefundICE #DefundDHS
From 2020: #Activists call on #OneCityCenter to cancel lease to #ICE offices
Jan 6, 2020
PORTLAND, Maine —"Activists lit up parts of Portland with a message Friday, asking Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to leave the city.
"Light projections shared messages on One City Center, the location of ICE's office, asking the management company to cancel the lease.
"A second projection and a small cage were set up in #CongressSquarePark.
DIRIGO Management Company, which manages One City Center, issued a statement Monday morning on Friday's protest.
"President Bob Keegan said that while the company oversees facility management, it does not own One City Center and does not make leasing decisions.
"Keegan said all leasing decisions are made by the building's owner One City Center Associates LLC."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/Fw8Yk
#MainePol #USPol #MaineResists #ICEOut #ICEOutOfMaine
#ICESucks #DefundICE #DefundDHS #DavidSoley #JoshSoley
While out and about in #PortlandME, I came across this sign.
The late #JoeSoley was a notorious #SlumLord in #PortlandME. It seems his son #DavidSoley and grandson #JoshSoley are in cahoots with #ICE! David Soley might be connected to #OneCityCenter (where ICE has had an office since 2020). Josh Soley is the owner (and David the manager) of the #ICEFacility in #ScarboroughME.
Here is some info I found on Reddit...
Posted January, 26, 2026
"No ICE, No Josh Soley/ CORE
A recent post brought attention to the fact that Josh Soley is the owner of the #ICEKidnapping facility in Scarborough that is putting kids and their families in cages.
This fuckface is worse than the ICE agents terrorizing our town. He is akin to a #Nazi profiteer. I’m all for denying service to ICE agents, but can we please step up the boycott and refusal to allow Josh and his real estate company CORE to do business as usual? I bartend in town and I will quit before I serve him or his family. I will also donate to anyone who can make posters they can share and I promise to help plaster them all over town."
https://www.reddit.com/r/portlandme/comments/1qofs7d/no_ice_no_josh_soley_core/
Also from Reddit, posted January 24, 2026:
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/portlandme/comments/1qmhzac/david_soley_shareholder_of_bernstein_shur_owns/
"David Soley, shareholder of Bernstein Shur, owns the ICE Facility in Scarborough
Edit: David Soley is the REGISTERED AGENT. His son Josh is the owner.
The owner of record is "AEY LLC":
From Scarborough tax records: Owner of Record: AEY LLC, 100 COMMERCIAL ST PORTLAND, ME 04101 Sale Price $0 Book & Page 35578/111 Sale Date 04/15/2019
https://gis.vgsi.com/scarboroughme/Parcel.aspx?Pid=190
Maine.gov shows AEY registered agent is David Soley. Enter Charter #20193684DC
https://apps3.web.maine.gov/nei-sos-icrs/ICRS?CorpSumm=20193684DC
David Soley is a shareholder at Bernstein Shur:
https://www.bernsteinshur.com/people/david-a-soley/
Could they, the Soleys, shut it down if they wanted?"
#MainePol #USPol #MaineResists #ICEOut #ICEOutOfMaine #ICESucks #DefundICE #DefundDHS
#ShennaBellows should be commended, not impeached! WTF!
Dem official could face GOP impeachment for refusing to cooperate with ICE
Travis Gettys, February 4, 2026
Excerpt: " 'This unilateral decision will put law enforcement and the public in danger,' wrote Republican Senate Leader Trey Stewart and House Leader Billy-Bob Faulkingham, along with their deputies, in the Jan. 21 letter. [Oh, and ICE is making us safe? F*ck you!] 'The Secretary has made it clear: Her actions serve only to make federal law enforcement officers — regardless of agency or mission — easily identifiable for the purpose of disrupting their lawful operations.' " [Um, more like UNLAWFUL OPERATIONS!]
Read more:
https://www.rawstory.com/shenna-bellows-maine/
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/KaH4W
#DJShaxx is on the air -- and ranting against #ICE (and playing awesome music)! Listen live (or tune into the archives -- available for 5 weeks after airdate). Tunes include #Fishbone 's #FascistPieceOfShit, #BruceSpringsteen 's #StreetsOfMinneapolis and #BillyBragg 's #CityOfHeroes!
Playlist:
https://spinitron.com/WMPG/pl/21929196/Left-of-the-Dial
Listen live:
www.radiorethink.com/tuner/?stationCode=wmpg&stream=hi
Audio archives:
https://www.wmpg.org/show/wed1700/
#MusicForResistance #MaineResists #WMPG #CommunityRadio #CollegeRadio #USPol #ResistICE
#Maine Secretary of State says she’s been #doxed after standing up to #ICE
By WGME-TV Staff | Sinclair National Desk
PUBLISHED: February 2, 2026 at 2:22 PM EST | UPDATED: February 3, 2026 at 8:53 AM EST
"Maine Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate #ShennaBellows says she has been doxed after coming out against Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"Bellows says her home address and personal contact information were spread online. She says this has led to herself and members of her family receiving threats.
"But for Bellows, this is not the first time she has been targeted. She says she was #swatted in 2023 for calling to remove President Donald #Trump from the ballot.
Bellows insists it’s a scare tactic, and that she will not give in to fear.
" 'Unfortunately, when I spoke out against #ICE and when I refused to allow ICE to have access to undercover license plates because a government agency and law enforcement should identify themselves as a government entity and law enforcement if they are going to be arresting people in the streets,' Bellows said."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/lSUJS
#MaineResists #ResistICE #ResistFascism #USPol #DefundICE #ICESucks #ICEOut #TrumpSucks
#Authoritarianism #Fascism
#DemocracyNow - #ImmigrantRights Leader in #Maine Says #ICERaids Caused Panic & “Wave of Fear”
February 03, 2026
"Activists in Maine are resisting #ICE immigration raids in #PortlandME and #LewistonME that the #Trump administration dubbed 'Operation Catch of the Day.' The immigrant community in Maine has grown in recent years, with an influx of #AsylumSeekers and #Somali immigrants in particular. 'As a small state, community means a lot,' says #MufaloChitam, executive director of the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, adding that her organization has received thousands of phone calls to their immigrant support hotline in recent weeks."
Read more / watch / listen:
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/2/3/portland_maine_city_council_ice_lawsuits
#MaineResists #ResistICE #DefundICE #DefundBorderPatrol #MIRC #NewMainers #CatchOfTheDay #ICESucks #ICEOut #ICEOutOfMaine #MaineImmigrantRightsCoalition #ViewerSupportedNews
[Video] #Maine #nurses honor killed #Minneapolis ICU nurse
"The Maine State Nurses Association organized a statewide vigil for #AlexPretti, a nurse shot and killed by federal law enforcement agents in Minneapolis last week."
January 30, 2026
Watch here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/general/general/maine-nurses-honor-killed-minneapolis-icu-nurse/vi-AA1Vmeql
#USPol #MainePol #ICEOutOfMaine #AbolishICE #MaineResists #ResistICE #DefundICE